TRIM: What Triage Model Is Safest And Most Effective For The Management Of 999 Callers With Suspected COVID-19? A Linked Outcome Study

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999 emergency ambulance calls related to COVID-19 have increased enormously at various points during the coronavirus pandemic. On some occasions, the volume of calls has tripled. Ambulance services cannot send an ambulance to every caller within a reasonable timeframe and not every patient with suspected COVID-19 can be taken to hospital. If the right patients are not sent an ambulance or are left at home, they could suffer harm or even death. But, if every patient is taken to hospital, Emergency Department and inpatient services may be overwhelmed and unable to cope. Ambulance services use different models to sort out - or triage - callers, but little is known about what model of triage works most safely and effectively during a pandemic. We will compare outcomes for patients treated using different triage models employed by ambulance services in call centres and on scene during the 2020 pandemic. We will retrieve these outcomes from NHS datasets, including data on deaths; hospital and ITU admissions; Emergency Department attendances; and COVID-19 diagnosis.We will interview health service staff to understand experiences and concerns. We will deliver findings quickly to help implement the best model for sorting and treating 999 callers with suspected COVID-19 symptoms.